Playing Live with Ableton Live: Video Course by AfroDJMac

The Ableton Live Performance Course I Wish Existed When I Started Performing with Live

I started performing live music over 15 years ago in rock bands and I've been performing live with Ableton for over 3 years. It has taken me that long to fine tune my Ableton set into what it is now today. It's a never ending project that continues to evolve a little bit each time I play. Ableton has allowed me to bring my musical ideas on the stage like no other tool I have ever used. It is simply amazing as a musical expression apparatus.

Over the course of the last 6 months, I have been putting together a massive 2 hour-plus video course on how to perform live with Ableton Live. I am spilling all of my secrets. When I first began using Ableton, I found a lot of tutorials and video courses that showed me how to use the program and what each control and button did, but I really didn't find much on how to use the program in a live situation. After learning the ins and outs of the software, I still had to learn how to apply it to a live performance. The video course I am releasing today is the course I wish existed 4 years ago when I first started using Ableton Live.

My goal for live performance was to integrate prerecorded clips, live instruments, live vocals, external effects and instruments, and live looping on the stage. In this video course, I show you how I've accomplished this. The information is broken down into 31 videos. I explain the ideas and demonstrate how they can be achieved in Ableton Live. If you have ever wanted to get on a stage and perform using Ableton, this is the course for you. These ideas and techniques work for a solo artist like myself, DJs, instrumentalists in bands, and sound engineers. I have used Ableton to perform my songs all by myself, to play synths and instruments in bands, to apply effects to other instrumentalists and vocalists, to DJ, and even to provide sound effects and music in theatrical performances. The applications are limitless.

Some Experience Required

An issue I have had with many tutorial courses is that they start from the very beginning. I created this course for people with some basic understanding of how Ableton works. I wouldn't say it is for advanced users only, but the course assumes you are familiar with the basic workings of Ableton. I'm not going to explain the difference between Session and Arrangement view, nor will I discuss all of the differences between warping algorithms. The course is designed to get you on your feet and playing as fast as possible. I don't want you to have to skip around and search for the useful information, because the first 8 videos are discussing how to drag devices from the browser on to your audio track. Instead, we will get right down to business. I took a lot of care not to move too fast and clearly explain how to do various tricks and techniques, but I also made sure that it moves at a pace in which you won't get bored and want to skip ahead.

It's All Practical and Useful

Everything in the Performing Live with Ableton Live Course is meant to be practical and useful. I discuss everything from effectively routing your tracks, setting up your sessions in a sensical manner, incorporating live and virtual instruments, setting up controllers, recording your performances, live looping, and even how I have been integrating Ableton's Push into live performance. I approach every technique in ways that will actually work live and are mindful of CPU usage. There are even tips on how to keep things interesting for your audience.

Bonus Ableton Devices Included

On top of the information included in the course, I've also packed it with some really handy Audio and MIDI Effect Racks. The 10 Effect Racks will help you add character, clean up mixes, do rudimentary mastering, create drum fills and glitch sounds, as well as emulate things like the MPC's famous note repeat. They come in a separate Ableton set and can easily be saved to your library for use in any project. (These devices require Ableton Live 9).

All of AfroDJMac's Secrets Are Being Shared With You

The methods and techniques detailed in this course have taken me years to learn. My live performance set has gone through countless revisions and during that time I've learned how to be as effective as possible as far as tidiness, ease of use, and CPU usage is concerned. My number one goal on this project was to create the video course that I wish existed when I began playing live. If it had existed all those years ago, it would have saved me an incredible amount of time. My hope is that it will help you get to the next level in your live performances and musical journey.

The Fine Print

Total package is 1.5GB, so it may take a few minutes to download. Videos are in MP4 format, which is compatible with most media players, including the free, cross-platform VLC Player. Ableton devices require Live 9.

AfroDJMac is the work of Brian Funk, a New York-based musician, producer, and Ableton Certified Trainer. He's a writer, podcaster, and curious sound designer who loves to share his knowledge about music production and the creative process.